Editor’s Note: Ukrainians have voted in the second round of the country’s seventh ever presidential election. They are choosing between two candidates: incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and comedian-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The Kyiv Post asked voters at several polling stations in central Kyiv and the city’s Poznyaky neighborhood whom they supported for president and why.
Yuriy Kirpenko
Retiree
“My wife Antonina and I voted for Zelenskiy. Why? Because the country needs a change of power. First and foremost stealing has to stop. In the first round we voted for Yuriy Boyko. Opposition Bloc would be the best for Ukraine. The relations with Moscow would improve. No matter which way you look at it, Ukraine is nothing without Russia.”
Artem Yurenev,
Cruise ship employee
“I voted for Zelenskiy. Who else? We believed Poroshenko after 2014, but nothing has changed. To be honest, I don’t like Zelenskiy but the most important thing is that it should not be Poroshenko. Yes, call it a protest vote.”
Yaroslava Kukharenko
Architect
“I voted for Zelenskiy. You know, after the EuroMaidan Revolution I thought that a person who saw the blood during that terrible winter and became the president could be a hero. But Poroshenko didn’t live up to my hopes. My uncle is in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and he says they still get expired meat. How can this still be? From the next president, I expect honesty and a fear to do anything that goes against the people.”
Natalia Martynenko
Communications manager at United Nations
“I voted for Poroshenko. I know there have been many gaps, especially in terms of fighting corruption. But we have a visa-free regime with the European Union and decentralization. There is also decommunization, which many people like although I think it has not been perfect. Among all candidates from the first round, Poroshenko is the only one who speaks English fluently. We saw a video of Zelenskiy talking to BBC. He could only introduce himself. I believe English proficiency is important in foreign policy.”
Oleg Nalivayko
IT manager
“I voted for Poroshenko in both rounds. I think he’s been doing his job well as the president. I expect he will keep the same vector that Ukraine has taken over the past few years. I think during this campaign, Poroshenko realized his mistakes and started talking about things that he should have talked about earlier. He should communicate with the people more.”
Vyacheslav Shvedov
“For Poroshenko. Because I’m not sure about Zelenskiy. There are a lot of rumors going around him now. So maybe stability is best. Poroshenko can continue the same course.”
Dmytro Udovik, IT specialist
Nataliya Udovik, homemaker
Vlad Udovik, elementary school student
Vlad: “For Poroshenko!”
Nataliya: “Tell them why.”
Vlad: “Because he speaks Ukrainian, and the guy from ‘League of Laughter’ speaks Russian.”
Nataliya: “We are for Ukrainian.”
Dmytro: “It’s tough to say (what the president should do first). In truth, the president must receive the current situation in Ukraine, not allow further escalation of the conflict (in the east), and try to more and more and with greater efforts to stop what is happening now.”
Nataliya: “For me, it’s important that he takes some important steps against corruption that maybe he didn’t have time to accomplish in five years or didn’t give enough attention… and that he makes some fundamental changes.”
Antonina Kutovaya
“I voted for Zelenskiy. It’s a conscious decision. Over five years, I concluded that the previous decision was incorrect, that they scared us (into choosing Poroshenko). This opinion was formed over five years, not in a single moment, not before the election, not in a month.”
Viktoria Ovdiyuk
Ukrainian and Russian language teacher
“For Poroshenko, of course. Because I see and evaluate the changes, even from the point of view of a teacher. I had a choice in the first and the second tour: only Poroshenko. I think he needs to fulfill the promises he made and correct his mistakes. First of all, of course, is court reform — although I’m not sure that entirely depends on him and as far as I know, he’s made those changes already, but he needs to bring this (to its conclusion). And, of course, the fight against corruption. And I think it would be very good if he kept his promise not to bring his friends and colleagues to power.”
